[nc] The Captain Vogdes who went on to say that he had reinforced Fort Pickens before Fort Sumter was attacked; but, that his act was overshadowed by the clamor and furore about Fort Sumter. I will also assume the peaceful seceders did not trust the leaders of the invasion.
[N-S] The rebellion leaders had demanded on more than one occasion that Slemmer surrender the fort. The only thing that stopped them was Slemmer's vow to defend the forts against attack to the best of his ability. It seems that it was the fear of high casualties more than any 'armistice' that prevented it.
[nc] Obviously, this fear of high casualties also must have prevented the War Between the States.
[N-S] In any case, whatever agreement there was was with Buchanan and the leaders of the rebellion. Nothing bound President Lincoln to abide by it.
[nc] Wrong.
[nc] In Charleston, that armistice was broken when a civilian ship, carrying reinforcing troops, was dispatched to Fort Sumter. It was further violated by Major Anderson when he abondoned Fort Moultrie and moved to Fort Sumter.
[N-S] The agreement that President Buchanan made with members of the South Carolina congressional delegation on December 9 stated that the government would make no attempt to reinforce the garrison in Charleston so long as the state government made no attempt to seize federal property. Nothing prevented the current garrison from moving among the federal facilities located there.
[nc] As is your perpetual habit, you change what someone said to suit yourself, and then you argue with yourself.
[nc] The language was not only to not reinforce the forts but "not to disturb the military status of the forts."
[nc] The specific purpose of the unauthorized move to Fort Sumter was to change the military status.
[N-S] That promise was promptly broken when state militia seized Fort Moultrie and Castle Pinkney.
[nc] It had already been broken by the disturbance of the military status via the unauthorized movement of Anderson.
[N-S] Following that what obligation did President Buchanan to abide by an agreement that was already violated?
[nc] It was the Buchanan administration that breached the agreement, possibly with some assistance from a usurping president-elect.
Sadly it did not. The Davis regime got their war a few months later at Charleston.
Wrong.
What bound President Lincoln to abide by an agreement already broken by the South Carolina government?
In Charleston, that armistice was broken when a civilian ship, carrying reinforcing troops, was dispatched to Fort Sumter. It was further violated by Major Anderson when he abondoned Fort Moultrie and moved to Fort Sumter.
Nothing in the agreement prevented Major Anderson from moving to Sumter. It did, however, prevent the Charleston mob from seizing U.S. property in the Charleston area. That occured long before the Star of the West arrived, so the first violation was on the part of the rebellion leaders.
As is your perpetual habit, you change what someone said to suit yourself, and then you argue with yourself.
On page 78 of his book "Allegiance: Fort Sumter, Charleston, and the Beginning of the Civil War" David Detzer gives an account of the meeting between President Buchanan and the South Carolina congressional delegation. When they presented their written understanding of the agreement, according to Detzer, President Buchanan had objected to the promise that there would be no assault on the forts "provided" that there was no change in the forts status. He had told the delegation that he could not agree to that wording and the congressmen had stricken it out. The OR, on pages 126 and 127, shows that the congressional delegation was proceeding on what they thought Buchanan had said or, more likely, what they hoped he had said. Again there is no written agreement signed by the parties to fall back on so it appears that whatever the rebellion leaders believed, Buchanan apparently believed otherwise. So it appears that it is you, not I, changing wording to fit your purpose.
It was the Buchanan administration that breached the agreement, possibly with some assistance from a usurping president-elect.
More wishful thinking on your part?